Sullivan County to fill 50 vacant jobs

MONTICELLO — Sullivan County Legislature approved the filling of more than 50 vacant positions on Thursday, including 14 for an undermanned and overwhelmed Department of Family Services.

Leonard Sparks

MONTICELLO — Sullivan County Legislature approved the filling of more than 50 vacant positions on Thursday, including 14 for an undermanned and overwhelmed Department of Family Services.

The approval came as all nine legislators met in an Executive Committee session whose main purpose was to review requests to fill year-round positions in the Division of Family Services and seasonal positions in the Department of Public Works.

The guest of honor was Division of Family Services Commissioner Randy Parker, who had joined Deputy Commissioner David Sager in pressing legislators to fill vacancies already budgeted for in 2013.

In particular they have highlighted the difficulties at the Department of Family Services. Workers there are confronting a soaring number of caseloads for temporary assistance, food stamps and other programs.

"We believe that we budgeted in good faith," said Parker, whose 2013 budget included an estimated $1.3 million in savings for the county's share of social service programs.

"We provided a budget believing that these positions would be filled."

Legislators agreed to fill Family Services positions ranging from a courier/driver and account clerks to social-welfare examiners and caseworkers.

Roughly 2,221 Sullivan residents, including nearly 1,300 children, were receiving temporary assistance in November 2012, according to the most recent figures available from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Caseloads totaled 1,399 in November 2007.

The increase is even greater for the food stamps program. About 13,471 Sullivan residents received benefits last November, compared with 6,697 in November 2007.

"When people come into DFS they sometimes come in with everything they own," Parker said. "These are folks that, without DFS in those situations, they may die."

Legislators also approved a request to fill 10 vacant positions, including nurses and account clerks, in Public Health Services and four positions, including two addiction services counselors, in the Department of Community Services.

"I would gander that there are some revenues that remain uncollected because we don't have the staff to do it," said Community Services Director Joe Todora.